Healing Hearts
by Zuza Q
Summary: Olivia is coming out of a bad relationship. Work is all she has that keeps her happy. But when one case breaks her heart, a relative of the victim gives her a hard time. She feels like she’s reaching her breaking point.
1. Hello, Olivia

"Everything hurts." Those were the first words I uttered after I woke up. It wasn't the first time I woke up here. I had drifted in and out, and the moment someone noticed they shot me full of Valium. At least, that's what I think it was. That's what they use on all the T.V. shows.

"I understand honey." I looked up into warm brown eyes. A brunette woman was leaning over my head. The first clear thought that came to my head was that her lipstick was too dark. I must have stared for a while because then she finally introduced herself. "I'm sorry. I'm Detective Olivia Benson. Your brother called me."

"Travis? Where is he?" I murmured. The light was hurting my eyes. Why did hospital lights have to be so strong?

"I'll go get him." She left the room. As I listened to her echoing footsteps, fear burned in my heart. I heard the door click – no, that was my imagination. The window was open- was he going to come in? No. You can't just sneak into a hospital. I tried to reassure myself. I was safe. No one could come in unless they were a doctor or a nurse. Perhaps someone can impersonate a nurse. They do it all the time on T.V. I sat up quickly.

What a big mistake. My whole body hurt, as if someone had run over me with a tractor. At that moment Travis came in. He sat down next to my bed, and ruffled my hair. He pulled away as he winced. The look on his face wanted to make me cry. He looked so scared, and worried. And it was all my stupid fault. I can't believe I was stupid enough too…

"Do you remember your name?" She asked.

I gave her a look. "Of course…it's Audrey Le Fay."

"It's a routine question. To make sure there's nothing wrong with your memory." I nodded. "Are you sure you don't want your parents to be here?"

"No." I must have said it harshly, because I saw something flash in her eyes. So I added, "My parent's aren't…Travis is my legal guardian now." She nodded.

"Would you like to say anything now?"

I looked her in the eye and began to speak. "I'm only fourteen. I'm not a…a…a virgin anymore." I put a little emphasis on the word virgin, and I saw her flinch, as if I had wounded her. "I don't want to…I just don't want to…" I burst into tears. Travis quickly hugged me. He rubbed my back as I sobbed. I couldn't understand why I kept stuttering.

"Detective Benson, may I see you outside?" Travis asked. He let go of me, and fluffed my pillow. He pulled the covers closer around me. He kissed me on the cheek and then went out with Olivia.

They closed the door on me.

Travis's POV 

I doubt anyone can understand what I'm feeling, unless they were going through what I was going through. I can't describe all the feelings in my head. There was rage, toward the bastard who had done this. There was hurt, for the fact she couldn't confide in me. There was a slight anger toward Olivia, her job was to help but so far she had only caused Audrey to burst into tears. I felt pity.

I watched as her body shook with sobs. I took Olivia out into the hall and began to speak to her. "I think this is hitting her much harder. You see, we're Catholic. Audrey even has this purity ring. She always said she would never take it off till her wedding night." I stopped myself, my eyes brimming with tears. Stop it, I willed myself. I don't cry. Especially in front of people like detectives.

She put her hand on my shoulder. "I've worked with cases like this before. Audrey might feel better later on, when she's in a safe environment."

I nodded and we scheduled for her to come to our house when Audrey was home.


	2. Stronger Than Expected

A/N: A lot of people put this story on their story alerts list. Which is really great and I thank you all. However, only one person reviewed the story. I really enjoy reviews, so that was a downer. So, I have decided that the third chapter will not be up until I get 5 reviews. That's just four more. Is that too much to ask for?

TRAVIS'S POV

They let me take Audrey home a week later. It was raining that day, but Audrey liked the rain. The hospital made her leave in a wheelchair. I refused to let anyone touch the wheelchair, but me.

It had taken her one night to turn into a nervous wreck. She refuses to be alone, and when I'm forced to leave her she begins to quietly cry. She stares after me as I leave, with tears slowly trickling down her cheeks. She wouldn't sleep without the light off until I got her a nightlight. I doubt she'll ever return to school.

We sat down in the living room. It was the late afternoon and the sun was streaming into the room. Audrey sat on the white couch staring at the door. She was watching it so intensively that she jumped when the doorbell rang.

I got up to ring Olivia up. I waited by the door, and took her coat as she entered. I had to admit it, she looks great. Except her eyes were rimmed with red from crying. She looked up at me and said "Hello."

"Hey." I answered back. I leaned in and whispered in her ear, "Are you okay?"

She nodded and said "It's nothing. Where's Audrey?" I didn't believe her, but she was working and she was here to do her job. I led her into the living room.

I had made tea for them all. Honey and lemon since that was Audrey's favorite. Had it been before the…rape, it hurts to say that about my little sister, she would have remarked that I had become a regular housewife. But she didn't say anything. Instead she sipped her tea and barely greeted Olivia. Olivia took out a notepad and began to question.

"Audrey, could you please tell us what happened that night?" Audrey nodded and put down her teacup. In her lap, her hands were clenching and unclenching from nervousness. Her eyes darted from the windows to the door then back. She took a deep breath and began to speak.

"It was on a Monday. I remember because I hate Mondays. I have swim practice on Mondays. And it's cold when I leave. I hate showering at the high school, and I hate blow-drying my hair too. So I just put a hood on and run home." She was babbling. I looked over Olivia's shoulder and watched her write down every single word Audrey had said.

Audrey's tone became softer as she spoke. Her words quickened and I was amazed at how Olivia's pen was flying across the paper. "Tony was waiting for me outside. He's sixteen and his dad got him this red convertible as a present."

Olivia interrupted. "Tony who?"

I answered for Audrey. "Tony Williams. He's her boyfriend."

"EX!" she yelled. Olivia and I turned to look at her. Her face had become extremely pale and her startling blue eyes enlarged and filled with anger. Olivia wrote something down and then nodded at her to continue.

"I think he was drunk. He smelled like vodka- the kind Travis drinks when he gets dumped." I turned red. "He said 'Hey baby, get over here. Let's go somewhere nice. And I said, 'No. I'm wet, cold, and gross. I want to go home.' He offered to drive me home but I said no- drunk driving kills." She stared off into space. "I wish I was dead!" she burst into sobs again. Her small body shook with sobs. I was about to comfort her when Olivia put her arm on her shoulder.

"Audrey. I can't help you. Unless you continue. If we stop now, we'll have to start this all over again." It was a bit harsh, but I scolded myself for thinking that. This is Olivia's job.

Audrey sighed and continued. The tears still streamed down her face. "He kept saying, 'Baby, what's your deal.' And I kept saying, 'Nothing. I hate when you're drunk.' And then he grabbed me, and he shoved me into…" she took a deep breath. "into the trunk of his car."

Olivia looked shocked. But Audrey continued. Again her voice got quieter, and her talking speeded up. "We pulled up to this hotel." She looked at me. "Remember Sunny Times? The place we used to go for pancakes when we were younger?" I nodded. "Well, now that's where the hotel is. I remember because the pancake place was right across from that park."

"Wait- what?" Olivia interrupted.

I explained. "When we were younger our parents took us to Sunny Times, this pancake place. Across from it was McKaren Park. Audrey fell off the slide and lost seven of her teeth there. Well, they closed it down about four years ago, and we didn't know. Last year we wanted to get pancakes, and it was a hotel." Olivia nodded and asked Audrey to continue.

"I forgot where I was." She paused for a moment. "Oh. He pulled me out. He was hurting me, his hands were squeezing my arm really hard." She showed us her arm, the finger marks were all too visible. The bruises were green, black, blue, purple, and yellow. I swear if I ever saw Tony, I'd rip his freaking eyes out.

Audrey stared into space. I waved my hand in front of her face. She snapped back. "He dragged me into an elevator. He had a room key. It was Room…it was Room-" She thought. "I think it was room 16, like his age. 16 is Tony's favorite number. It's on his key chain, his door room, and his license plate." Her voice had taken on a new tone, almost robotic, and completely emotionless.

"He blinded folded me. I tried to fight him, I bit him even. I made him bleed." Her eyes had a angry flash in them. But she calmed down and went back to her motionless tone. "He tied my arms behind my back. Then the door opened and a bunch of guys come in. They were asking Tony how much they owed him for the night. Tony said 'Anything over a hundred, and in cash, is good enough for me."

She was staring out the window. "Then he left me." She gazed at us.

Her emotionless tone had changed to a scared, angry tone. "Tony left me. With all those other guys. GUYS I DON'T EVEN KNOW."

A/N: McKaren Park is real, and I live right across the street from it. When I was younger I was going down the slide, and because gravity and Earth hate me, I fell down flat on my face. I was toothless for a very long time. Review!


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